MassINC

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For 30 years, MassINC has brought together research, journalism, and polling to better understand the forces shaping life in Massachusetts—and what it takes to expand opportunity across the Commonwealth. Through the MassINC Policy Center, CommonWealth Beacon, and The MassINC Polling Group, this work has informed public debate and elevated data-driven solutions across sectors. On May 14, we’ll mark this milestone with our 30th Anniversary Celebration. This evening will bring together leaders from across sectors to reflect on MassINC’s impact and look ahead to the work still ahead. As we return to our founding question—how to support a thriving middle class in Massachusetts—we’re excited to convene partners, policymakers, and community leaders for a thoughtful conversation about the future. We’re especially honored to welcome: • Ali Noorani, President & CEO of the Barr Foundation • Martin Baron, Former Editor of The Boston Globe Join us for an evening of reflection, connection, and forward-looking dialogue. 🎟️ Purchase tickets: https://lnkd.in/e5hV9SPV

Massachusetts is at an inflection point. Rising costs, shifting workforce trends, and uneven access to opportunity are reshaping what it means to live and work in the Commonwealth. On April 13, MassINC is bringing together the Greg Torres Senior Fellows in partnership with GBH Forum Network for a conversation grounded in research, lived experience, and practical solutions. Hosted by Charlotte Golar Richie, this discussion will explore the Commonwealth’s most pressing challenges. Drawing on their research, practice, and lived experience, the Fellows will explore the issues shaping Massachusetts today and offer forward-looking ideas to strengthen economic mobility, expand opportunity, and support thriving communities statewide. Featured speakers include: • Dina Fein, Retired Judge, Massachusetts Trial Court, Housing Court Department, Western Division • Pema Latshang Latshang, Founder, PDL Consulting & Inaugural Executive Director, Teach Western Mass • Mary Wambui, Asset Manager, Planning Office For Urban Affairs •Leverett Wing, President & CEO, Commonwealth Seminar  • Cynthia K. Orellana, Ph.D. (she/her/ella) (Moderator), President & CEO, Mass Mentoring Partnership Register today: https://lnkd.in/eMQ3gwhH

Massachusetts’ educator workforce challenges are no longer isolated—they’re playing out across Gateway Cities statewide. In the latest Gateway Cities Journal, Pema Latshang, Greg Torres Senior Fellow and author of the Teach Western Mass case study, reflects on what it will take to strengthen the teacher pipeline and address persistent inequities in access to effective educators. A decade after Teach Western Mass launched to respond to severe staffing shortages in Holyoke and Springfield, the lessons are clear: building a larger, more diverse workforce requires strong programs and structural change. From compensation to retention to equitable distribution, the Commonwealth must act with urgency to ensure all students have access to experienced, high-quality teachers. #GatewayCities #EducationPolicy #Massachusetts #TeacherWorkforce #Equity

We're excited to share the first stories from a new survey MPG conducted for STAT, part of Boston Globe Media. We surveyed scientists nationally about the impacts of changes at the National Institutes of Health. https://lnkd.in/e3WFrQMx

What does it take to live a middle-class life in Massachusetts today? As part of our 30th anniversary, the MassINC Policy Center is releasing the Massachusetts Middle Class Status Report—a new research series examining the economic capacity required for households to achieve stability, maintain balance, and fully participate in community life. Today, we are proud to release Component 1: The Middle-Class Budget by Household Type, which establishes a data-driven benchmark for the income households need to meet a middle-class standard of living in the Commonwealth. By the numbers: ▪️ A single adult needs roughly $80,000 - $90,000 annually to meet a middle-class budget in Massachusetts ▪️A family with two children can require $130,000 to $230,000 depending on household composition and phase of development ▪️Childcare alone can exceed $20,000 per year per child, making it one of the single biggest cost drivers for families By grounding the concept of the middle class in the real cost of living, this analysis provides a clear starting point for understanding the pressures facing households across Massachusetts. 🔗 Explore Component 1: https://lnkd.in/e6Ha8qvy

MassINC is joining partners from across Massachusetts on a School-Centered Neighborhood Development (SCND) tour, exploring how communities are using schools as anchors for stronger, more connected neighborhoods. We’re kicking off the series with a recap from Lowell, where local leaders shared how a decade of investment in Community Schools—and a commitment to keeping Lowell High School in the heart of downtown—are helping connect students and families to opportunity. We’ll be sharing insights and takeaways from additional tour stops across the Commonwealth through April. Stay tuned as we continue to learn from communities doing this work on the ground. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eVrmNHhv #MassINC #CommunitySchools #NeighborhoodDevelopment #GatewayCities #EducationPolicy

Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities hold significant potential for economic growth—but realizing that potential requires sustained, place-based investment. A new article in the Gateway Cities Journal examines the next phase of MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), which has supported 28 growth districts across 19 Gateway Cities over the past decade. As new districts launch in Chelsea, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Lowell, Malden, and Peabody, the piece explores why strategic investments in these districts can help strengthen regional economies and restore healthy private real estate markets. #GatewayCities #EconomicDevelopment #Massachusetts

Today, The MassINC Polling Group Polling Group, The Boston Foundation, and the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network convened nonprofit and civic leaders to share the findings from the second Massachusetts Nonprofits Federal Impacts Survey. Nearly 500 nonprofit leaders across the Commonwealth responded to the survey, offering candid insight into how disruptive federal policy changes over the past year have affected their organizations, staff, and the communities they serve. Rich Parr of the MassINC Polling Group presented the survey results and highlighted what they reveal about the impact these changes are having across the nonprofit sector. The findings underscored both the challenges nonprofits are navigating and the resilience required to continue delivering essential services. Thank you to the nonprofit community, the survey respondents who shared their experiences, and everyone who came together for today’s conversation. These discussions help elevate the real impacts nonprofits are carrying and create space to talk honestly about the issues—and the solutions—that will strengthen the sector moving forward. 📊 Read the findings from the poll: https://lnkd.in/eYvq6YvB #Massachusetts #Nonprofits #PublicPolicy #MassINC #Polling

MassINC is hiring to further enhance our research, policy, and journalism in Massachusetts. We’re looking for people who are curious, collaborative, and ready to do work that actually moves the needle. Learn more about our openings and apply today: https://lnkd.in/ducYrPA